Serving a Corporation in BC Small Claims Court — Registered Office and Corporate Search
Why the Corporate Search Matters
Suing a business in BC small claims is not the same as suing an individual. You must name the exact legal entity on your Notice of Claim — and, when suing a company, file a search printout showing its most recent registered office address on file with the Registrar of Companies.
Getting the name wrong is one of the most common mistakes self-represented litigants make. Suing "Mike's Plumbing" when the legal entity is "MJP Plumbing Services Ltd." gives you a judgment against a name that owns no assets. The judgment becomes effectively uncollectible.
How to Run a Corporate Search
Two main tools:
OrgBook BC (orgbook.gov.bc.ca) — Free. Shows BC-registered businesses including corporations, sole proprietorships, and partnerships. Search by business name to find the exact registered legal name, the entity type, and the registration status.
BC Registries and Online Services — A standard search costs $7 per business or file and shows the company record, including the registered office address on file with the Registrar of Companies. Copies and certificates cost extra. This is the search printout the court registry requires when you file.
The paid BC Registries search is what you need for court. OrgBook is useful for an initial lookup to verify the correct name before running the formal search.
What to Look For
Your corporate search printout should confirm:
- Legal entity name — The exact name to put on Form 1. Copy it letter-for-letter, including "Ltd.", "Inc.", "Corp.", or "Co." at the end.
- Entity type — Corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, or extra-provincial company. This determines how you name the defendant and where you serve.
- Status and dissolution date — A dissolved company may generally be sued within two years after dissolution under section 346(1) of the Business Corporations Act. Check the dissolution date; restoration may be needed after that period.
- Registered office address — Rule 1(2.1) requires the most recent registered office address on file with the Registrar of Companies. Rule 2(3) allows service at the registered office delivery address, by registered mail to its mailing address, at the company's place of business with a receptionist or apparent manager, or with a director or other specified company official.
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Naming Different Entity Types
| Entity Type | How to Name on Form 1 |
|---|---|
| Individual | Full legal name (e.g., Jane Mary Doe) |
| Sole proprietorship | Owner's name d.b.a. Business Name (e.g., John Smith d.b.a. Smith Plumbing) |
| BC corporation | Exact legal name (e.g., Apex Contracting Ltd.) |
| Extra-provincial company | Registered extra-provincial name |
| Partnership | All partners' names (e.g., Arthur Pendelton and Robert Vance, a Partnership) |
For a sole proprietorship, you are suing the owner personally — the trade name is added for identification. For a corporation, the company itself is the defendant, and you serve it at the registered office.
How to Serve a BC Company
Rule 2(3) permits service on a company by these methods:
- Delivery to the registered office — Deliver the documents to its delivery address shown in the Registrar of Companies' records.
- Registered mail — Mail the documents by registered mail to its mailing address shown in those records.
- Place of business or company official — Leave the documents at a place of business with a receptionist or person who appears to manage or control the business, or with a director, officer, liquidator, trustee in bankruptcy, or receiver manager.
For an extraprovincial company, Rule 2(4) has separate methods: serve at its BC head-office address, by registered mail to its head-office mailing address or appointed attorney's mailing address, or by leaving the documents with the attorney. If no attorney is appointed, use the place-of-business or company-official methods in Rule 2(3).
Leaving documents at a retail location or construction site can be valid if it is a place of business and the documents are left with a receptionist or a person who appears to manage or control the business there.
Common Mistakes
- Using a trade name instead of the legal name. "Vancouver Kitchen Renos" might be a sole proprietorship under a completely different person's name. Always search first.
- Serving at the wrong address. The job site or storefront is not the registered office. Check the corporate search.
- Suing a dissolved company. Check the dissolution date. Section 346(1) of the Business Corporations Act permits proceedings against a dissolved company within two years after dissolution without restoration.
- Forgetting the printout. The registry will reject a filing against a corporation if no corporate search is attached.
Our BC Provincial Court Small Claims guide includes a corporate search worksheet and step-by-step service tracking to make sure your claim reaches the right legal entity at the right address.
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